Book-support



(No Model.)

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2 Sheets--Sheet 1. J. W. GOULTAS.

BooK sUJPoRT.

Patented Nov. 27, 1888.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2* J. W. COULTAS. v

BooK SUPPORT.

No. 898,542. Patented Nov. 27, 1888.

ATTORNEY,

NV PETERS. PhutolLilhogmpher, Washington, l! C.

IINITEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES IV. COULTAS, OF CLINTON, ILLINOIS.

BOOK-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393,542, dated November 27, 1888.

Application tiled April 13, IESS. Serial No. 270,547. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, JAMES W. COULrAs, a citizen of the United States, residing in Olinton, in the county of De Vitt and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Book-Supports, of which the following is a description.

The object of my invention is to provide a booksupport for holding dictionaries and other large and unwieldy works of reference, which support shall have hinged side frames which close together to shut the book with a spring, and which side frames, when opened, throw the spring out of action, so that the book may lie at rest in opened position. Book-supports having these general characteristics have heretofore been invented, but they involved a more or less complicated and expensive set of spring-hinges.

My invention is designed to provide a simple and cheaper construction of book-support of this character; and to that end it consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts, which I will now proceed to fully dcscribe with reference to the drawings.

Figure l is a transverse section through the book-support in closed position and showing in dotted lines the open position. Fig. l is a perspective View of the hinged parts from the outside when the book is closed. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view, and Figs. 3 and 4 are modifications.

A is the vertical stem which carries the entire booksupport, and which stem is adapted to be held with a vertical adjustment in the usual supporting post or standard having a tripod base,which it is not necessary to show. At the upper end of the supportingstern A is rigidly attached and firmly held a plate, A', which is attached to or cast with the other cross plates or bars, AL A". To the top of these bars A2 is attached a wooden or upholstered base, B, for the back of the book to rest upon..

C C are the hinged side frames. To the middle of each of these is attached a metal hingeplate, a, which is jointed to pintle-pins b, formed on the outer ends of the bars A.

D D are spiral springs, one of which is arranged upon each side of the plate A, and connected thereto at one end and to the hingeplate at the other end at a point above the axial line of the hinge. These springs are arranged at right angles to the axial line of the hinge, and their function is to close the hinged sides frames, O, whenever the pull of the spring is above the hingepoint. When, however, the hinged frame O is thrown open into the same plane with the central base, B, the pull of the spring comes in line with the hinge or a little below its center, and in this position the hinged frames are locked open, so that the tension of the springs has no effect toward closing the hinged frames, but allows the book to rest in opened position.

E is a bar applied to the under side of the metal frame and extending a short distance past the hinge-post. This bar at its ends forms back-stops, which limit the backward movement of the hinged side frames.

As a modification of my invention, instead of using two separate spiral springs, D D, I may use a single longer spring, as shown at D', Fig. 3, and connect its opposite ends to the two hinged frames. As a further modification, I may still preserve the two springs; but instead of connecting them with the hinged frames above the axial line of the hinge I may, as in Fig. 4, connect them with the hinged 4frame below the axial line of its hinge and arrange the springsD2 to work by compression and expansion. For this purpose it is necessary to form the hinge-plate of the frames C into a lug or projection that extends below the hinge center and forms an abutment for the spring that is capable of being turned into the locking-line of the center of the hinge.

In case it is desired to make the book-holder adjustable to books of different sizes it may be conveniently done by making the baseplate in two sliding sections.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A book-support composed of a support- 'ing-frame, hinged side frames, stops for determining the opening movement, and one or more spiral springs extending at right angles to the axial line ofthe hinges and connected to the hinged frames at one side of the axial line, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A book-support composed of a support- IOO for limiting the outward movement of the side frame, substantially as and for the purpose de- Io scribed.

JAMES W. ooULTAs.

XVitnesses:

SAML. HENSON, LEE ELY. 

